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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

Letter to the Editor: Dr. Hall is a Fraud
Dear Editor: "Dr." Robert Hall aka John Roberts Hall, is not only a pervert (thank you so much for your story) but a crook who worked many years as the contact dentist for Americans going to an outfit known as Dentavac operating in Escazu, San Jose, Costa Rica, Dr. Baez (aka Luis Baez) and Dr. Arturo Acosta. This is no small office. It takes up a huge building and has armed guards. I work for United Airlines and went to have minor dental veneers placed by Dentavac in March of 2013. This is a common practice in the airline industry. Nips, tucks, teeth whitening, bio identicals, etc. at a reduced price overseas. "Dr." Robert Hall was the "dental designer" while a Dr. Monterserat Chacon did the actual dentistry (overseen by this Baez). Robert Hall, who was supervised by Dr. Acosta, put himself out as an NYU teaching fellow and expert in cosmetic dentistry, stating that he was "retired" enjoying surfing and downsizing from the hustle bustle of American life. He was the consummate salesman, 100 percent backed by these Escazu dental frauds.

Wolfe's Woofer: Telephone Call
"Mr. Dennis, you're coming over for dinner tonight aren't you?" Mario asked. "Sure," I said. "I'll be there by 6:30." "Good. Maria will start the escabeche around noon so it should be about ready between 6 and 7." "O.K." My friend Mario is very poor but he specifically wanted me to come over and try his wife's escabeche. I have done some favors for him over the years and I know that's his way of paying them back. Besides, I love that Mayan onion based soup called escabeche and I hate to pass up the chance to eat it. "Hello, Mr. Dennis," Maria said, when I knocked on the door. "Mario went to get some bread. Have a seat and he'll be right back."

Police Report
Rape: A 34-year-old housewife currently residing in the Boca Del Rio area, visited the San Pedro Police Station on Saturday, December 12th and reported that around 9AM on Friday, December 11th while seeking employment, she was taken on a red motorcycle by a Hispanic male to a remote area where he had sexual intercourse with her against her will.
Burglary: On Thursday, December 10th at 5:18AM, 43-year-old Efrain Bardalez reported that between the hours of 7:10PM on the Tuesday, December 8th and 7AM on Wednesday, December 9th his warehouse situated in the DFC area was burglarized.
Theft: On Saturday, December 12th at around 4PM, 35-year-old Kenny Brakeman reported that on Thursday, December 10th at around 1PM he left his grey Yamaha 15 horse power 4-stroke boat engine valued at $4,000 inside his bodega in the DFC area.
Found Drugs: On Sunday, December 13th at around 11:30AM, Caye Caulker Police intercepted a parcel from Belize City to Caye Caulker Village which led to the discovery of two wrapped parcels containing 365 grams of suspected cannabis. The items was labeled as Found Property and deposited.
Drug Trafficking: On Tuesday, December 15th at about 11:30AM, police conducted a search at the residence of 37-year-old Deon Faber located on Laguna Drive, Boca del Rio Area where they found several plastic bags amounting to 208.9 grams of cannabis.
Attempted Murder: On Sunday, December 13th at about 4:45AM, Caye Caulker Police responded to a stabbing incident in Bahia Area of Caye Caulker Village. There, they intercepted a green golf cart transporting 27-year-old Eldon Evans heading to the Caye Caulker Village Health Centre.

Doctor Love: Bad Decisions and Concerned Moms
Dear Doctor Love, The holiday season is here and it has me worried. When we first met two years ago I made an agreement with my girlfriend that I do not do Christmas because it is too commercial. To me, Christmas is not about honoring the birth of Jesus. Instead, it is an excuse to buy cheap gifts and put money in the pockets of people who own stores. She agreed with me completely. We tried to put the money that we would have spent into our savings for our marriage. Then I made what turned out to be a huge mistake. I didn't buy a Valentine's Day gift and I could tell she was upset. She gave me a card and some chocolates and I didn't get her anything. I explained to her that I felt that Valentine's Day is also too commercial. We talked about it and she said she understood. Last year I didn't buy a gift for her and this time I knew she was upset. She said that it is too commercial but it is showing love for a living person that you supposedly care for. We smoothed things over but Valentine's Day is only about seven weeks away. I don't want to make the same mistake but I do truly feel that the holiday is too commercial. How can I keep her happy and not make myself unhappy?

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

FCD's Executive Director met with Mexican Ambassador to Belize, Mr. Carlos Quesnel Melendez
Discussing efforts to protect the Maya Forest.

The Reporter

Police Department graduates 176 new police recruits
The Belize Police Department added 176 new police men and women to its enrolment as it tries to make 2015 the second best year since 2008 in murder statistics. This year there were 116 murders and Minister of National Security John Saldivar, says he believes that the Department has the crime situation under control. Major crimes have reduced from 2287 at the end of November 2014 to 2027 in 2015. The Department has recorded that since 2008, crimes have been declining from 3126 to what is recorded up to now for this year. The Department recorded that most deaths took place in the first six months of the year, that was the first 76 murders. He stated that the amount of murders was significantly reduced, to 40, during the second half of the year. As the Department records the significant decrease in murders, 167 new police officers join the ranks of the Department, after six months of arduous training at the Belize Police Academy (BPA).

Historical representation of 5Cs at Paris Climate Change Talks
The Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (5Cs) attended the 21st Conference of the Parties held in Paris, France this week. The team of delegates was led by the executive director of 5Cs, Dr. Kenrick Leslie. Deputy Director and Science Advisor of 5Cs, Carlos Fuller represented Belize at the convention. The convention finished on Saturday night after overtime deliberations by the French Presidency of the COP, where they crafted an agreement compatible with all parties involved. One of the key interests of 5Cs is that the convention will be directed by scientific research. 5Cs was instrumental to ensure that the Caribbean region was well represented at the convention and prepared to engage in negotiations regarding what climate change issues mean to the region. With assistance from various partners, the center formatted a Declaration on Climate Change which was adopted by the CARICOM Heads of Government and was the blueprint for the region's position for COP 21.

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Minister Saldivar says major crimes are down for 2015
With roughly two weeks remaining until the end of this year, Minister John Saldivar responsible for National Security, says authorities are hoping to wrap up the year with less murders than were recorded at 2014's end and stated that with the count at 116 murders thus far, it is possible that this will be the second best year for his department since 2008. Saldivar further stated that the crime situation is now under control as the number of major crimes has also been reduced from 2,287 at the end of November, 2014, to 2,027 this year and since 2008, has been constantly declining from 3,126, all the way down to this year's statistics.

Cold front brings wet start to Christmas week
The National Meteorological Service of Belize calls for mostly cloudy skies today with some showers, periods of rain and isolated thunderstorms mainly over central and northern areas. Skies will be partly cloudy tonight with a few showers mainly along the coast. Winds will blow from the Northeast at 10-20 knots, becoming gusty near heavier showers and thunderstorms. The sea state is moderate to rough. High temperatures today are expected around 82 degrees Fahrenheit along the coast; 84 degrees Fahrenheit inland and a comfortable 74 degrees.

Blogs

Tamalitos (Ducunu)
Cut ends of corn. Peel off husk and silk. Leave the large husk to wrap ducunu. Grate or grind corn. Melt margarine (low heat). Add melted margarine, salt and baking powder to corn. Add milk. Mix well. Put two or three corn cobs in pot to balance ducunu. Add water. Bring to a boil. Put one large tblsp corn mixture in each corn husk. Fold over and set between cobs in boiling water. Boil for 20-30 minutes. Serve with stew chicken or meat of choice

Tamales
Clean both sides of banana leaves with a damp cloth. Set aside. Season chicken pieces with salt, Season All, black pepper and sugar. Heat oil in a deep saucepot. Add chicken and cook until light brown. Add 1� cups water. Dilute recado in approximately ⅓ cup warm water and add to chicken. Let simmer for half an hour, then remove chicken and set aside. Strain chicken broth for col and return to saucepot, reducing to a low heat.

Wildlife concerns on Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker
December 1st thru the 3rd, 2015, four Belize Forest Department (BFD) Wildlife Officers, Edgar Correa, Minerva Gonzalez, Mercedes Valdez, and Erwin Gillette, spent three days addressing wildlife concerns and laws in Ambergris Caye and Cay Caulker. The evening of Dec. 1st, the four Wildlife Officers, along with two police officers from the S.P. Police Dept., joined the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES) on one of their evening crocodile research excursions. Belize's Crocodile Expert and ACES's Co-Founder, Vince Rose, and ACES's crocodile conservationist Chris Summers shared pertinent crocodile biology and behavior facts with the enthusiastic officers. ACES has been humanely tagging crocodiles with Pro-ID microchips for an ongoing population distribution study since 2008. To date, over 500 crocodiles in Belize have been tagged providing pertinent scientific data and enabling the identification of problematic crocodiles for relocation, or captivity, to ensure human safety. Then, on December 2nd, the BFD and ACES visited the Estuary of Caye Caulker, a culture interpretive center with nature trails through a mangrove lagoon. The BFD had received reports that there was possibly illegal crocodile feedings taking place. However, along the beautiful nature trail over the lagoon there were clearly signs warning the public against this activity. ACES looks forward to working with the Estuary at Caye Caulker and assisting in training their guides about Belize's crocodiles under the direction of the Belize Forest Department.

International Sourcesizz

CRFM and partners to unlock the full potential of Caribbean fisheries through value chain approach
Some fear that climate change and global economic pressures will create a toxic mix that would cripple the potential of the Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture sector, but a new initiative being implemented by the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is looking for that "golden key" that would, instead, unlock the industry's hidden potential for all concerned; thus improving the contribution of fisheries to the region's economic development. This should ensure that both suppliers and buyers have more money in their pockets, as they keep the resource base on a healthy and sustainable footing. A newly launched project will over the next year bring together key public and private actors in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, to optimize the benefits across the value chain - from the fishers who set their traps to reap the ocean's bounty to the buyers who search for the most economical catch to serve up an impressive meal. Towards this end, the CRFM led a planning meeting in Grenada from 7-9 December 2015 to jumpstart the organization of a regional training and capacity building workshop on the Value Chain Approach in Caribbean Fisheries. The workshop will take place in July 2016.

Videos

  • Belize - 2015, 7.5min. Our visit to beautiful Belize in December 2015.

  • Belize, 6min.

  • 2014.11- Caye Caulker, Belize, 9.3min. Caye Caulker in Belize was another location that I added to my itinerary last second, hearing about it from other travelers. The only thing I wanted to do was the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, based from San Pedro. Turns out that this place is packed with hotels though, whereas Caye Caulker has more of a backpacking vibe for it, making my decision to go there instead very easy. I stayed in the Bella's Hostal just next to the Dirty McNasty's, which seems to be the place-to-go for all those party hungry backpackers. I was glad I did not stay there.

  • Moments 2015, 2.5min. Food & Photos RTW 2015: Mexico, Belize, Cuba, Guatemala, Costa Rica

  • Royal Caribbean Cruise - Belize / Cozumel, 8min. Our 2015 Western Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean's Independence of The Seas. Ports of call at Belize and Cozumel.

  • Belize Tarpon Fly Fishing 2015, 5.5min. Landing my First Tarpon with El Pescador guide Sinoe and Wing December 2015!

  • ABbundance Belize 2015, 4min. A yoga and pilates retreat hosted by Elizabeth Sullivan. The retreat is held in the country of Belize on a private island called Royal Belize.

  • Belize, 9min.

  • Best of Belize With Singles in Paradise, 9min. Our group spent 4-days in San Ignacio and did the cave tubing and had a whole day in Mountain Pine Ridge. Then we flew out to Ambergris Caye where we snorkeled with sharks and sting rays and had a great BBQ picnic on Goff's Caye.

  • Manatee in Belize, 18sec.

  • Macarena Rose Belize love Sand Castle, 12sec.